Grade Calculator guide
Add each category from your syllabus, such as homework, quizzes, midterm, and projects, with its score and weight. The calculator gives your current weighted grade and letter, then works out the final exam score you need for the grade you want.
How weighted grades work
Most US courses do not average every assignment equally. The syllabus assigns each category a weight, such as homework 20%, quizzes 15%, midterm 25%, project 10%, and final exam 30%, and your grade is the weighted average. The formula is: grade = (score₁ × weight₁ + score₂ × weight₂ + ...) ÷ (weight₁ + weight₂ + ...).
Dividing by the total weight entered, not by 100, is what lets you check your grade mid-semester. If only 70% of the course has been graded, the calculator averages over that 70%, which is how most learning management systems like Canvas and Blackboard show a running grade.
Worked example: grade going into the final
The sample rows are homework 92% at 20%, quizzes 85% at 15%, midterm 78% at 25%, and project 88% at 10%. Weighted points: 1,840 + 1,275 + 1,950 + 880 = 5,945. Weight graded: 70. Current grade: 5,945 ÷ 70 = 84.93%, a B on the common scale.
Notice the midterm. It is the lowest score and carries the most weight, so it pulls the average down nearly four points: without it, the other three categories average 88.78%. Weight matters as much as the score.
The final exam formula
If the final is worth F percent and everything else is your current grade C, your course grade will be C × (1 − F) + final × F. Solve for the final: needed = (target − C × (1 − F)) ÷ F.
With C = 84.93% and a final worth 30%: to finish with a 90, you need (90 − 59.45) ÷ 0.30 = 101.8%. Not possible without extra credit. For an 85, you need 85.2%. For an 80, you need 68.5%. Every point on a 30% final is worth 0.3 points of course grade, so the difference between a B+ and a B can come down to a handful of exam questions.
The calculator assumes the final is the entire remaining portion of the grade. If other work is still ungraded, such as a last project or participation, enter your best guess for it as a row first so the answer is realistic.
Letter grade scales
The calculator uses the most common US plus/minus scale: A 93 and up, A− 90 to 92, B+ 87 to 89, B 83 to 86, B− 80 to 82, and so on down to D at 60 and F below 60. Plenty of courses use a straight 90/80/70/60 scale with no pluses or minuses, and some curve. Your syllabus wins.
Rounding varies too. Some instructors round 89.5 up to 90, and some do not round at all. If you are within half a point of a cutoff, ask; do not assume.
Common mistakes
Averaging category scores without weights. Homework at 95% and an exam at 70% do not make an 82.5% if the exam is worth three times as much.
Counting ungraded work as zero. Leave the score blank for anything not yet graded. A zero is only correct for work you actually missed.
Mixing points and percentages. If one category is 45 out of 50 points, convert it to 90% first. Points-based courses are simpler still: total points earned divided by total points possible is your grade.
Ignoring dropped scores. Many syllabi drop the lowest quiz or homework. Remove it before you calculate the category average.
From course grade to GPA
Once you know the likely letter grade, the GPA calculator turns it into grade points weighted by credit hours. A B+ (3.3) in a 4-credit course moves your semester GPA more than an A in a 1-credit lab. If you are deciding where to spend study time before finals, run both calculators: the course with the highest credits and a grade near a cutoff is where extra hours pay off most.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my weighted grade?
Multiply each score by its weight, add the results, and divide by the total weight. Homework 92% (20%), quizzes 85% (15%), midterm 78% (25%), and project 88% (10%) give 5,945 ÷ 70 = 84.93%, a B.
What do I need on my final to get an A?
Use: needed = (target - current × (1 - final weight)) ÷ final weight. With an 84.93% current grade and a final worth 30%, you need 101.8% for a 90, 85.2% for an 85, and 68.5% for an 80.
Do the weights have to add up to 100?
No. The current grade is based on the weight graded so far, so 70% of the course graded works fine. The final exam section assumes the final is the remaining part of the grade.
How do I calculate my grade if categories are points-based?
Add up points earned and divide by points possible. 430 out of 500 points is 86%. If your syllabus uses points instead of weights, enter the total as one row with a weight of 100.
What percentage is a B-plus?
On the most common US scale, B+ is 87-89%, B is 83-86%, and B- is 80-82%. A is 93% and up and A- is 90-92%. Many instructors use a simpler 90/80/70/60 scale with no plus or minus, so check your syllabus.
Does an ungraded assignment count as zero?
Not here. Leave the score blank and the row is skipped, so your current grade reflects only work that has been graded. Your school's portal may treat missing work as a zero, which is why grades there can look lower.
Are my grades kept private?
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded to a server or stored by us.